WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – April 12, 2019– Two-day professional development workshops for teachers will be offered throughout the summer and around the state by the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and partner organizations.
The workshops will help teachers apply Iowa Core standards including social studies, and science in the context of agriculture. The workshops will also use agriculture to teach other core concepts and skills like language arts and math. The workshops will be hands on and interactive with one day of site visits and tours and one day of practical classroom application. Many STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts will be integrated throughout.
“My main goal was to get a credit. But once I got into the workshop, I realized it would exceed my expectation,” said Betsy Anderson, a workshop participant in 2018. “I knew some of the information, but it was great to have it connected to real farmers and the science behind farming in Iowa.”
The dates of the workshops are June 3-4 in Sioux Center, IA; June 11-12 in Calmar, IA; June 13-14 in Algona, IA; June 13-14 in Pella, IA; June 26-27 in Eldridge, IA; June 26-27 in Fort Dodge, IA; July 10-11 in Griswold, IA; July 17-18 in Council Bluffs, IA; July 23-24 in Ankeny, IA; August 5-6 in Indianola, IA; and August 5-6 in Manchester, IA. The workshops will include lesson demonstration, hands on implementation of concepts, tours of farms and agribusinesses, and technical skills in agriculture. The workshops will be available for teacher recertification credit and graduate level credit.
“It was simply the best professional development course I've taken! Said 2018 workshop participant, Kerri Bell. “It offered so much for two solid days. I loved every minute of it. I've made so many new friends across SE Iowa to collaborate with. I'm excited to have more resources.”
Workshops are made possible by supporters of the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation including the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Bayer, REAP Conservation Education Program, and Farm Credit Services of America with additional support from Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Corteva Agriscience, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. To find out more about workshops in your area visit www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, email info@iowaagliteracy.org or call 515-331-4182.
Date: June 3 & 4, 2019
Location: Sioux Center, Iowa
Title: Innovation in Agriculture
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the Iowa Core science and social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach core standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During the first day of the course participants will see how biotechnology and genetics are utilized on farms today. They will tour a farm, a seed corn research facility and a livestock genetics company to gain an understanding of the research and product development involved in plant and livestock breeding. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 180225. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: June 11 & 12, 2019
Location: Calmar, Iowa
Title: Past, Present, and Future of Agriculture
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the Iowa Core social studies and science standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach core standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course, participants will see historic sites, such as the Norman Borlaug farm near Cresco and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and learn about historic agriculture. They will also see a modern educational dairy farm as well as Seed Savers Exchange, where students will learn about crop and livestock agriculture sciences. The second day of the course will focus on implementing new lessons, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners. There will be presentations about technologies in modern agriculture, as well as resources available for educators.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 180216. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Location: Algona, Iowa
Title: Core Learning from Farm to Fork
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the Iowa Core social studies and science standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach core standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. Students will venture out of the classroom both days to learn about the diverse agriculture industry first-hand while visiting a seed corn processing plant, corn & soybean farm, pig farm, a vineyard and a distillery. Producers and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. During the in-class time participants will dive into the social studies & science standards, explore resources, and work with staff from the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and North Central Iowa Ag in the Classroom to translate what they learned from the tours into lessons for their students.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 180230. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: June 13 & 14, 2019
Location: Pella, Iowa
Title: What to EAT: exploring Energy, Agriculture, & Technology
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see how technology is integrated onto modern farms. They will learn about specialty crops like strawberries. They will see how crops are marketed at local commodities and how soil samples help evaluate the health of farm fields. They will see how hydroelectricity is generated and how pig farmers are integrating solar panels to meet their energy needs. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 179975. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: June 26 & 27, 2019
Location: Fort Dodge, Iowa
Title: The Science and Economics of Modern Agriculture
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement Iowa Core social studies and science standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach core standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course, participants will see how science is integrated onto modern farms and agribusinesses. They will learn about cropland inputs like fertilizer and limestone. They will see how crops are processed into specific ingredients in livestock feed, plastics, food packaging, medicines, and more. They will learn about specialty crops like grapes, niche markets, and international trade. The second day of the course will focus connecting new learning to science and social studies and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 180210. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: June 26 & 27, 2019
Location: Eldridge, Iowa
Title: Teaching from the Farm to the Fork
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see a family farm and understand how major Iowa commodities are produced. They will learn about nutrition and how food plays a major role in leading a healthy lifestyle. They will tour museum exhibits that highlight the importance of agriculture and food production. The will learn how grain is converted into a value-added product - spirts. Experts, researchers, and specialists will share information on sustainability, conservation, genetics, animal health, and animal nutrition. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 179995. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: July 10 & 11, 2019
Location: Griswold, Iowa
Title: Learning through Food and Agricultural Systems
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see how milk is collected and how dairy cows are cared for. They will learn about ethanol and renewable fuels production. They will learn about farm implements and modern technology applications. Participants will see veterinary services and large animal care. Experts, researchers, and specialists will share information on soil conservation, water quality, swine animal care, and extension and outreach topics. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 179994. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: July 17 & 18, 2019
Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa
Title: Soil to Food: The Richness of the Loess Hills
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will explore agricultural implements and the technology used on farms. They will see water quality practices and understand how soil is managed. They will learn about honey production and using bees as pollinators. They will learn about precision agriculture and using drones. Experts, researchers, and specialists will share information on soil conservation, water quality, animal care, and extension and outreach topics. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 180060. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: July 23 & 24, 2019
Location: Ankeny, Iowa
Title: Conservation & Innovation in Agriculture
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the Iowa Core social studies and science standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach core standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. On the first day of the workshop students will venture out of the classroom to learn about innovation and conservation in agriculture while visiting the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, a conservation demonstration farm, and farm machinery testing facility. Producers and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. On day two, participants will dive into the social studies & science standards, explore resources, and work with staff from the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and Polk County Agriculture in the Classroom to translate what they learned from the tours into lessons for their students.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 180231. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Location: Indianola, Iowa
Title: Farm to Table: Exploring the Science and Technology of Crop and Livestock Production
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the Iowa Core social studies and science standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach core standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see how technology is integrated onto modern farms. They will learn about specialty crops like Christmas trees, raspberries, and grapes. They will see how agriculture uses technology like aviation equipment. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 180219. Then follow the links to register for the course.
Date: August 5 & 6, 2019
Location: Manchester, Iowa
Title: Exploring What is Special about Agriculture
Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see how Iowa farmers are raising specialty crops like flowers, vegetables, strawberries, and aronia berries. They will learn about growing conditions needed for each of these unique crops. They will see how crops are marketed. They will learn about specialty livestock like goats. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how other crops like chickpeas are raised. Participants will learn about local food initiatives. Experts will present on what Iowa is doing to protect monarchs and other pollinator species. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.
Register to attend: Graduate credit is available through Drake University for $85 or from Morningside College for $65. Licensure renewal credit is available from AEA for $35. Registration can be done online by creating an account in the Professional Learning Registration System. Once an account is created (which could take up to 24 hours), login and search for the course number 179983. Then follow the links to register for the course.
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About the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers who want to teach Iowa’s students about agriculture. The mission is to educate Iowans, with a focus on youth, regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture. Iowa is a leading producer of agricultural products that are essential to feed a growing world population, estimated to reach more than 9 billion by 2050. IALF believes it is important for all Iowans to understand the essential role agriculture has in their lives. IALF will support existing agriculture education efforts such as FFA, 4-H and Ag in the Classroom. IALF was created through a joint effort of agricultural stakeholders, including the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Silos and Smokestacks Foundation, DuPont Pioneer, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information visit IALF online at IowaAgLiteracy.org, on Facebook, and Twitter.
Source:
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
Contact:
Will Fett, Executive Director
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
WFett@IowaAgLiteracy.org
515-331-4182
Publish Date:
4/12/2019